Midnight in Montgomery: a stop at Hank Williams’ grave

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Like a line from the Alan Jackson song, “Midnight in Montgomery,” we stopped at Hank Williams’ grave in Montgomery to see if we could feel the country spirit of ol’ Luke the Drifter…

Well, ok, so we didn’t stop in the middle of the night like the Alan Jackson song, and, ok, we didn’t see the ghost of Hank Williams. Truth is, you can’t take good pictures at midnight, and we’re a little too easily spooked to hang out in cemeteries in the middle of the night.

We did, however, get a chance to pay our respects and snap some pictures of Hank & Audrey’s final resting place.

The cemetery itself does a great job pointing the way to their gravesite, and once there, you’ll find a beautiful memorial to both Hank and Audrey.

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Hank Williams’ grave features a headstone with inscriptions of some of his biggest hits and a cowboy hat with his former stage name/nickname, Luke the Drifter, carved in the stone.

The plot itself is perched on top of a rolling hill with stunning views of the Alabama countryside, the perfect resting place for one of the most important couples of country music.

Midnight in Montgomery, silver eagle, lonely road
I was on my way to Mobile, for a big New Year’s Eve show
I stopped for just a minute, to see a friend outside of town
Put my collar up, I found his name, and felt the wind die down

And a drunk man in a cowboy hat took me by surprise
Wearing shiny boots, a Nudi suit, and haunting haunted eyes
He said friend it’s good to see you, it’s nice to know you care
Then the wind picked up and he was gone, was he ever really there

‘Cause it’s midnight in Montgomery, just hear that whippoorwill
See the stars light up the purple sky, feel that lonesome chill
‘Cause when the wind is right, you’ll hear his songs, smell whiskey in the air
Midnight in Montgomery, he’s always singing there

Well I climbed back on that eagle, took one last look around
Through red tail lights, the shadow moved slow across the ground
And off somewhere a midnight train is slowly passing by
I could hear that whistle moan, I’m so lonesome I could cry

‘Cause it’s midnight in Montgomery, just hear that whippoorwill
And see the stars light up the purple sky, feel that lonesome chill
‘Cause when the wind is right, you’ll hear his songs, smell whiskey in the air
Midnight in Montgomery, he’s always singing there
He’s always singing there, Hank’s always singing there

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Hank Williams Grave

Oakwood Cemetery Annex

1304 Upper Wetumpka Rd

Montgomery, AL 36107

Making a trip down I-65? Why not take a day or even weekend to enjoy the historic city of Montgomery? From Hank Williams to the Civil Rights Movement, there’s plenty to learn, see, and do. Visit the city’s tourism website to plan your trip.